NATO: France and Germany yesterday blocked a decision by NATO on whether to prepare supporting measures for any US-led war against Iraq, diplomats said.
"It was a pretty tough discussion," said one diplomat of the heated debate among alliance ambassadors at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
"The arguments were flying. It's all about timing."
The US last week formally asked the 19-nation alliance to consider six measures to provide indirect military assistance in case of a war with Iraq, mainly to protect NATO ally Turkey against possible Iraqi attacks.
France and Germany have publicly opposed any rush to war and, along with many other European allies - they were backed at the NATO meeting by Belgium and Luxembourg - say UN weapons inspectors should be given more time to try to disarm Iraq peacefully.
Diplomats said the allies were not opposed to the US requests in principle, but were anxious not to appear to endorse military action before diplomatic avenues had been exhausted.
"In principle all would be in favour of what's proposed, especially with regard to looking after Turkey. My guess is the picture will change after the 27th," one participant said, referring to next week's key report by weapons inspectors to the United Nations.
Other NATO officials played down suggestions that the meeting was acrimonious.
"A number of the interventions were eloquent, others were pretty candid. But people are just doing their work - it's diplomacy," said one. The US proposals include defending Turkey's southern flank with Patriot missiles and AWACS radar planes, as well as deploying patrol ships and minesweepers in the region.
One proposal, which diplomats said was potentially problematic for Germany because it is linked directly to military action, was the use of NATO planning facilities to put together the right mix of forces for a campaign, pooling equipment such as fighter planes and refuelling tankers.
The US has also suggested that NATO play a role in post-war humanitarian and stability operations in Iraq.
Washington had hoped NATO would task its military planners early, partly to put pressure on Baghdad to give up its alleged weapons of mass destruction by showing that allies were ready to back their demands for disarmament with force.
Diplomats said that although the US had not set a deadline for a NATO decision, it was keen to crank up what could be a lengthy planning process.
NATO invoked its Article V mutual defence clause immediately after the attacks against the US on September 11th, 2001, but it was sidelined as Washington responded militarily to Afghanistan with just a few allies. Its exclusion fuelled concern in Europe about US unilateralism and raised questions about the alliance's relevance for post-Cold War security threats.
Diplomats said the US was eager to ensure that, if it does go to war against Iraq, NATO does not sit on the sidelines in a fresh crisis of self-doubt. - (Reuters)